Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the United States and Australia. They also want their children to take extra-course activities where they will either learn a musical instrument or ballet, or other classes which will give them a head start in life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So parents will spend an unreasonable amount of money on education. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} However, what most parents fail to see is that the best early education they can give their children is usually very cheap.

    Parents can see that their children's skills differ. Some children are very skilled in some areas while poor in others. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but parents are not teaching them the most important skills that they need to be confident, happy and clever.

    Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing other housework. Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in

    life. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It is an enjoyable but difficult experience. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually finish his job successfully step by step. The result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and lots of self-confidence.

    Some old machines, such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your child to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest. He will spend hours looking at them, trying to repair them; your child might become an engineer when he grows up. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And that is more important.

A. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.

B. The more cost in education, the better the result will be.

C. Cooking requires patience and time.

D. What most parents fail to realize though, is that today's children are badly off for self-respect and self-confidence.

E. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is.

F. These activities are not only teaching a child to read a book, but rather to think, to use his mind.

G. Thus, the more the children use the computer, the better the result will be.

    People have been making and flying kites for about 2,000 years. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Some historians believe it the ancient Chinese may have started kite flying 2000 years ago. It is still a popular hobby in China, Japan and Korea and in other countries of the Far East where beautifully decorated appear in different colors.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Simple kites are made by crossing two sticks and covering them with paper or cloth. Then you attach a string at the end. More expensive kites have frames made of fiberglass, plastic or aluminum. The name comes from a graceful bird called kite.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}A flat kite is the oldest and simplest type of kite.  It flies because air flows over and under the kite's wing. The pressure under the wing helps the kite lift into the air.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Early scientists sent kites up into the air to measure temperature at different heights. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin used a kite to prove that lightning was a form of electricity. He attached a metal key to the string of a kite. When lightning hit the kite, electricity passed down the string and Franklin got an electric shock. It was a very dangerous experiment that you shouldn't copy.

    Kites were also used to develop airplanes. The Wright Brothers experimented with kites before they flew the first airplane. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In World War I the Germans developed a large kite that could transport people to a submarine. Kites were also used to carry radio signals over long distances.

    Today most people fly kites as a hobby. Kite festivals are organized in many cities in all parts of the world.

A. Kites are made in many different sizes, colors and shapes.

B. flying kites is great fun and it is easy if you know some secrets.

C. Kites have also been used in experiments.

D. No one knows for sure who invented the kite.

E. In Japan families fly fish kites on Children's Day, May5th.

F. Stories of kites were brought to Europe till the end of the 13^th century.

G. In the past, kites were sometimes used to take pictures in wars.

    Everyone can benefit from better communication. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Of course, we know that isn't true, but this shouldn't stop you improving your communication skills. Here are a few tips to help you become a better communicator.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Verbal (口头的) language is only one part of the communication — body language is another. If you ever wanted to know how to tell if someone is lying, body language is the answer. Your body language tells other people what you aren't verbally saying, such as if you are anxious, confident, confused, angry or any other type of emotion or state of mind. If you become great at reading body language, it will help you become a better communicator.

    Listen to others

    Before you ever begin to speak, take a minute to see if anyone else has something to say.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Listening to others has many benefits, such as allowing you to learn new things or get information that you may later need.

    Think before you speak

    Your parents probably told you this as a child, but many people still do not take a moment to think about the words they are about to say.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}There is a time and place for all words and tones of voice.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}You will have to practice your communication skills before you can ever become an excellent communicator.

A. This is not an overnight thing.

B. Singing a song for them is good.

C. Become fluent in body language.

D. Don't try to make the conversation go your way.

E. You should decide what you want to get in a conversation before you choose your words.

F. If you are too anxious, you can't look for the right body language to use in communication.

G. In fact, if everybody were excellent communicators, the world would be a much better place.

    Everyone knows English is one of the most important subjects in middle schools. And we always know learning English is very important, but few students know how to learn English well. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    I think if we have a right way to learn English, and we work hard, then we must learn English well. But what is the right way?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Second, everyone knows remembering new words is important, but how to remember them? I think we can copy new words on pieces of paper, and take them with us. When we are free, we can read them. Third, how to improve our listening and speaking?{#blank#}3{#/blank#}And we can answer the questions in class, don't be afraid of making mistakes. I think it's useful to us. Finally, it's about reading and writing. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}And try our best to retell them. We can also keep a diary every day, and spend an hour practicing English.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If necessary, we can turn to our classmates and teachers for help instead of giving up. If we don't study hard, it's difficult to learn English well.

A. To begin with, you can recite as many words as you can.

B. First, we must he confident enough to learn English and be interested in it.

C. Whenever we meet difficulties in our English study, we shouldn't lose heart.

D. We can sing English songs, listen to the radio and listen to tapes every day.

E. Then how can we make rapid progress and learn English well?

F. In a word, we will make rapid progress.

G. When we are free, we can read articles in English

    As a senior year student, you may have so many pressures coming from so many directions that you can't figure out what to do first.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    When you have many things to do and a lot of demands on your time, you can lose sight of what's important. One of the best ways to see the big picture – what you want out of life – is to lay out your goals.

    Pressure Points and How to Deal With Them

    Confused or overwhelmed -- {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Discuss your concerns with a friend, parent or teacher. They may help you find solutions to your problems and worries.

    Being too hard on yourself – ease up, take a break and do something you enjoy. Daydream, read a book, go out with friends – anything that helps you relax.

    Problems, problems, problems – recognize your limits. It's too stressful to try to  deal with all your problems at once. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Goal-Setting Tips

    It's important to remember that goals belong to you – not to your parents, your teachers, or your friends. After you've set your goals, identify the skills you have to achieve those goals. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, do some research. Try the library, your guidance adviser and teachers, and other people who could help you.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. If your goal is something you no longer want, change it. Identify the barriers to getting your goals. Consider ways to overcome them. Don't get depressed by a big, long-term goal – see what steps you can take to achieve it and set those steps down as short-term, "do-able" goals.

A. Too much to do

B. If you're not sure what skills you'll need

C. talk to someone you trust

D. Goals exist to serve you

E. Balancing goals in life

F. Choose what's most urgent and set aside the rest until later 

G. As long as you know what skill is important and what isn't

    Imagine that you are in a remote village somewhere with no medical clinic. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Once the doctors get to you, they examine you and take blood samples, but they won't be able to help you until they take the samples back to the hospital to find out what is wrong. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Thanks to engineer Andy Ozcan, many people may never be in this situation. He has invented an app that turns your mobile phone into a diagnostic(诊断的)tool.

    Ozcan's invention is important because it is very accurate and easy to use. In many remote places, even if doctors have microscopes and other instruments to help them make diagnoses, there may still be other problems. Many doctors, for example, don't have enough training to correctly interpret what they see. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} With Ozcan's mobile phone app, health workers can take a special photo of a blood sample and send it to a central computer at a hospital. The computer will then automatically interpret the photo and send a diagnosis back in a few minutes.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} His technology only requires a mobile phone and an Internet connection. As more than four billion people already have cell phones, the cost of establishing the diagnostic system is fairly low.

By inventing a medical tool that uses existing technology—mobile phones—Ozcan has developed a medical tool that is both practical and economical. Therefore, it can be effectively almost anywhere. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Another reason that Ozcan's invention is important is that it is inexpensive.

B. Even though you may only have a simple infection (感染), you might die because of the delay.

C. People are trying to reduce the cost of this new medical tool.

D. Ozcan's simple, cost-effective tool might just save millions of lives around the world.

E. This tool has become much more popular all around the world.

F. You become very sick and must wait days until a mobile medical unit arrives to help.

G. As a result, they may diagnose illnesses incorrectly.